Published Dec 9. 2003 - 20 years ago
Updated or edited Nov 29. 2023

Bonefish Bitters

I started using the Bonefish Bitters while fishing on my own in Mexico. I wrote: "I continued using my Bitters and caught many more fish on them the following days. After two weeks of fishing I felt like a champion and was very satisfied with myself."

The prize

Guide Gaspar

I cannot say that I am a seasoned bonefish angler. I have fished for bonefish on a couple of occasions, but even though I am not nearly what I would dare call experienced, I have accumulated some experience with these ghosts of the flats.

My latest trip was to Punta Allen north of Ascension Bay about a year ago, and there I got my skills honed with two weeks of bonefishing.
One of our local guides - Gaspar - was a Gotcha-man. He would select a small Gotcha over anything else in almost any situation, and emptied my box of small Gotchas within a day.

By the frequency of his "Let me see you fly!", "Too big!", "Let me see your fly box" and the fly change following every second cast, I was led to think that bonefishing was the hardest type of fishing on the surface of the planet.

I owe the originator, Craig Matthews, an apology for molesting his pattern as I have done here. My variation of this fly differs so much from the original in tying method, that it's almost a new pattern. I have chosen to keep the name, but refer you to his fly shop Blue Ribbon Flies as an attempt to undo it You can see the original Pop's Bonefish Bitters here.

Matching the hatch for picky chalk stream trout was kids' play compared. Bonefish seemed not only extremely spooky, but also very choosy with what kinds, colors and sizes of flies they would take.

Read the complete story from Punta Allen in the article "Bumpy Mexico"

Brown Bonefish Bitters

Neutral Bonefish Bitters

This would prove to be all wrong later during the trip, but since it was the first couple of days and we were with a skilled local guide, I chose to follow his advice, and observed many a bonefish swim by within casting range while he was clipping off my fly, only to exchange it with something of almost similar size, color and appearance.

Seen in retrospect I guess that he was just earning his salary by convincing us poor tourists that it was the wrong fly that caused the fish to spook - not our poor eyesight or lousy casting skills.

History
The Bonefish Bitters was invented by Craig Mathews sometime back in the 80's. It was originally named Pop's Bonefish Bitters after a Belizian guide nicknamed Pops. My flies are probably not quite true to the original (which I have never seen in real life).
I tend to tie them more elongated, slender and rounded than most Bitters I have seen, which are flat and with the "tail" more spread out to look like the legs on a small crab.
The original was most likely tied with epoxy. For this fly I dearly recommend glue. So much easier to handle and more than adequate for the purpose.

Luckily I got the chance to fish without a guide for the last few days of the trip, and during these days I learned a lot. First of all I learned that my trusty 7 weight Loomis IMX was no good at this game. I must have overlined it, because casting it was a curse, even with a 7 weight line - and casting is a very important aspect of bonefishing.
I replaced it with a Hardy Ad Swier Pike Teaser (yes, a pike rod!), which was the perfect rod for the purpose. It cast my 9 weight Rio line like a dream and increased my reach and my precision by an order of magnitude!

Fly thieves

That rod and the Bonefish Bitters changed me from an insecure bonefish angler to a much more self confident bonefish catcher. I started attracting bonefish to my flies in stead of scaring them off. I started being able to target single fish or pairs and even have more than one fish going for my flies. I started catching fish that I saw myself on long distances.

I could probably have achieved the same thing with a small Gotcha, but my box was filled with Bonefish Bitters in several colors, and on one of my first solo walkabouts I selected a brown one.

The fly sank readily on my first cast to a fish, the fish turned - and towards my fly! I slowly retrieved the fly a bit, increasing speed slightly and the fish picked it up delicately from the bottom. Anyone who has fished for bonefish knows that what happened after that was not done delicately. As most hooked bonefish, it took off in a 30 yard rush, faster than imaginable.

I continued using my Bitters and caught many more fish on them the following days and after two weeks of fishing I felt like a champion and was very satisfied with myself.

Materials
Hook I use my favorite, the Kamasan B175, but any salt water resistant hook can be used. Sizes from 4-8 will work well.
Thread To match materials
Tail A small bunch of deer hair or bucktail, rubber legs to match colour
Eyes Bead chain, not too large
Head Hot melt glue, clear (coloured may be used for denser coloration)
I had most success with brown, neutral and white variations, less so with a red one.
Red Bonefish Bitters

White Bonefish Bitters

Tying method

  1. Attach the thread to the rear of the hook shank just in front of the bend
  2. Prepare a small bunch of deer hair or bucktail. 10-20 hairs are enough
  3. Tie in the hairs. Have them protrude a shank length behind the hook bend, allowing the tips to spread out - although not too much
  4. Leave the butts as long as half the hook shank
  5. Tie in 6-8 rubber legs a bit longer than the deer hair
  6. Tie down all butts and cover with tying thread
  7. Tie in bead chain eyes on the top of the shank midway between the tail materials and the hook eye
  8. Whip finish and cut the thread
  9. Use a hot melt glue gun to cover the eyes and the thread covered butts with glue
  10. Aim for a rough drop shape - largest around the eyes of the fly
  11. Tip the vice slightly downwards and rotate it while holding a lighter or candle flame under the glue
  12. Be careful not to scorch the glue, but have it melt slightly and become smooth and perfectly rounded
  13. Rotate for a bit while the glue sets
  14. Drop the still warm and soft fly into a glass of cold water and leave there for half a minute

You can select to use colored glue, a colored thread or you can mark the thread, eyes and hook shank with a felt tipped pen to achieve a more colorful fly. I use clear glue only and vary the color by choosing materials, thread and an occasional pen job.

Comments

I'm not a bonefish, ...

I'm not a bonefish, but I think I like your version a bit better.

The posted tying met...

The posted tying method is extremely helpful in the technique used to form, and color, the head. Quenching in cold water is a real time saver. Forming the heads before tying in the legs and hair may be easier for some. The "Belizian guide nicknamed Pops" is "Pops" Cabral who is still actively guiding at Turneffe Flats. A modest gentleman, and true master of his game.

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